Late surge secures vital nfl victory for meath
Meath produced a fantastic closing quarter performance tonight to get their NFL Div 2 title aspirations back on track with a 0-13 to 0-11 victory over Kildare tonight in front of some 4,000 spectators at Pairc Tailteann.
There was also an added boost with the return of Eamon Wallace for the last two minutes - the Ratoath player missed most of 2014 after sustaining a serious injury in the Leinster u-21 FC replay against Louth last March.
In tonight's game it wasn't until nine minutes from time that Meath managed to get on level terms at 0-10 apiece after struggling to stay in touch until then.
Paddy O'Rourke's inspirational pointed free from some 45 metres midway through that second-half gave the hosts a major boost and they were on terms soon after when Stephen Bray and Andy Tormey split the posts.
Mickey Newman pointed Meath into the lead, but Eoghan O'Flaherty levelled for Kildare before Tormey and Clonard's Adam Flanagan secured a much-needed victory.
Meath trailed by 0—4 to 0-7 at the interval after a poor opening 35 minutes during which they tallied six wides.
Meath had 16 shots at the Kildare goals in that opening half while the Lilywhites were more economical converting seven out of 10 chances.
Meath also lost Graham Reilly to a ninth minute black card with Sean Tobin taking over - Tobin converted a brace of second-half frees.
Two points from Newman and one each by Bryan Menton and Tormey was all Meath coud muster in the opening half.
A more fluent Kildare side, that didn't even register a wide, hit the target through a barce of points apiece by Padraig O'Neill, Darroch Mulhall, Fionn Dowling and Keith Cribbin.
Meath will return to action in the NFL Div 2 on Sunday 1st March away to Roscommon at Kiltoom.
Meath – Paddy O'Rourke (0-1); Donncha Tobin, Conor McGill, Mickey Burke; Padraic Harnan, Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton (0-1); Harry Rooney, Adam Flanagan (0-1); Graham Reilly, David Dalton, Andrew Tormey (0-4); Joey Wallace, Stephen Bray (0-1), Michael Newman (0-3).
Subs – David Bray for J Wallace, Brian Power for Harnan, Eamon Wallace for D Bray.
Black card – G Reilly (replaced by Sean Tobin 0-2 nine mins)
Kildare – Mark Donnellan; Ciaran Fitzpatrick, Peter Kelly, Mick O'Grady (0-1); Ollie Lyons, Daryl O'Brien, Eoin Doyle; Gary White, Padraig O'Neill (0-2); Eamonn Callaghan, Keith Cribbin (0-1), Eoghan O'Flaherty (0-1); Darrock Mulhall (0-4), Fionn Dowling (0-2), Padraig Fogarty. Subs - Niall Kelly for Dowling, Tomás O'Connor for Fogarty, Fergal Conway for Fitzpatrick.
Tonight's other NFL Div 2 results
Cavan 0-17, Laois 2-6
Roscommon 1-15, Down 1-11
FIXTURE - TOMORROW
Westmeath v Galway.